"Standard histories such as that by Yale's Jonathan Spence, as well as the recent groundbreaking "Tiananmen Papers," suggest that Chinese soldiers did not fire on students before they left the square in the early hours of June 4, 1989. But in popular references, most recently in the first paragraph of a major retrospective wire story this week stating that "thousands were killed in Tiananmen Square," the myth persists. A massacre did take place in Beijing 15 years ago, eyewitnesses say - just not in Tiananmen."

(Be sure to click through at the bottom of page 1 to read page 2)

3:15 AM Note: I was in the middle of posting this Thursday evening, when we had a several city cable outtage here in S. California. [Grumble, grumble -- Adelphia Weasels, grumble, grumble!]